Origins & Early Life

Takizawa Bakin (滝沢 馬琴; Japanese pronunciation: [ta.kʲi.(d)za.wa (|) ba.kʲiɴ]), born Takizawa Okikuni (滝沢 興邦; 4 July 1767 – 1 December 1848), was a Japanese novelist of the Edo period, who wrote under the pen name Kyokutei Bakin (曲亭 馬琴). Later in life he took the pen name Toku (解). Modern scholarship generally refers to him as Kyokutei Bakin, or just as Bakin. He is regarded as one of, if not the, leading author of early 19th century Japanese literature.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was the third surviving son of a samurai family of low rank. After numerous deaths in his family, he relinquished his samurai status, married a merchant's widow, and became an Edo townsperson. He was able to support his family with his prolific writing of gesaku, primarily didactic historical romances, though he always wanted to restore his family to the samurai social class. Some of his best known works are Nansō satomi hakkenden (The Chronicles of the Eight Dog Heroes of the Satomi Clan of Nansō) consisting of 106 books and Chinsetsu yumiharizuki (Strange Tales of the Crescent Moon). Bakin published more than 200 works in his life, including literary critiques, diaries, and historical novels.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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